The one-year Master's in Financial Engineering (MFE) Program welcomed its fourth class of new students to the Haas School community last week.

The MFE class of 2005 is made up of highly educated professionals, many of whom have been working for more than five years. Students' top professional backgrounds this year include finance (33%), engineering (23%), research and development (13%), and information systems (12%). More than half the class already holds master's degrees in other fields, and 10% have doctoral degrees. Nearly 40% of the class is international -- students hail from 14 different countries.

"I'm proud to be part of a program that attracts top-quality students," says Adolfo Pena, one of the new arrivals from Mexico. "My teammates are exceptionally bright and qualified individuals."

"I continue to be amazed by the talent and diversity of these students year after year," says Linda Kreitzman, director of the MFE program.

The Haas MFE program teaches students with superior analytical skills how to apply theoretical finance and computer modeling skills to pricing, hedging, trading, and portfolio management decisions in a practical business environment. The program also gives students access to specialized career services offerings and the business school's worldwide alumni network.

Earlier this year the program was ranked #1 among financial engineering and quantitative finance master's programs around the world, according to Global Derivatives, an information clearinghouse for quantitative finance topics. The program was the first of its kind in the United States offered entirely under the auspices of a business school.

Management of Technology Lecture Series to Look at New Growth in Silicon Valley

The Management of Technology (MOT) lecture series, which this spring will address the themes of the rebirth of Silicon Valley and investment in biotechnology, is set to begin on March 31.

"Silicon Valley has entered a new cycle of growth only in the last year, and four of the five speakers will discuss this extremely timely topic," said Andrew Isaacs, adjunct professor and executive director of the MOT program. "Three of them -- Mark Kvamme, Kevin Fong, and Dado Banatao, are leading venture capitalists in the Valley, and one of them, Geoffrey Moore, is probably the single best-known marketing person in high-tech in the world.

"Keith Grossman will also talk about how he turned a Bay Area biotechnology company from one that was de-listed on the stock exchange to one that is now valued at $3 billion," Isaacs said. "It's a compelling story of how good management can rescue a high-tech business."

The MOT lecture series, begun in 2000, enriches the Berkeley campus every spring and fall by bringing in professionals who are deeply involved in starting, funding, and advising new high-tech companies. Each lecture now draws over 150 attendees.

Lectures will take place on Wednesdays from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Wells Fargo room, with the exception of the May 5 lecture, which will be held in the Sibley Auditorium, Bechtel Engineering Center. A reception with refreshments will follow each presentation.

The lecture series is sponsored by the Management of Technology program, now in its 18th year, a joint program of the Haas School, the College of Engineering, and the School of Information Management and Systems, and the largest interdisciplinary program on campus.

United Nations and Management of Technology Conference Begins this Thursday, April 1

There are just a few days left to get tickets for "Bridging the Divide -- Technology, Innovation, and Learning in Developing Economies," the inaugural conference that is part of a new collaboration between the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and UC Berkeley's Management of Technology (MOT) program.

The conference, which aims to bring technological solutions to problems in the developing world, will be held at the Haas School on April 1 - 3, 2004. Organized under the auspices of the MOT program, a joint effort between the Haas School, the College of Engineering, and the School of Information Management and Systems, the conference has garnered support and enthusiasm from faculty and students across the UC Berkeley campus, global industry leaders, and public officials and UN representatives from around the world. Robert Reich, former US labor secretary in the Clinton administration and a distinguished visiting scholar at UC Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy this spring, will give one of the opening keynote addresses at the conference.

Haas School marketing professor emeritus David Aaker will give a special lecture on "The Relevance of Relevance," Monday, April 5, at 4:00 p.m. in the Wells Fargo Room.

The lecture is part of the David Aaker Distinguished Lecture Series in Marketing, which was launched in spring 2001. Several signed, advance copies of Aaker's new book, Brand Portfolio Strategy, will be awarded as door prizes at the event. Raffle tickets for the book will be handed out between 3:45 and 4:00 p.m.

A reception will follow the lecture. Seats will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, contact Sarah Benson at benson@haas.berkeley.edu.

John Williford, CEO and president of Menlo Worldwide, will speak on global supply chain management, logistics, and transportation as part of the Clausen Speakers Series on Thursday, April 8 at 4:00 p.m. in the Wells Fargo room. Williford is a 1980 MBA graduate of the Haas School.

The Clausen Center for International Business and Policy was established in 1995 with an inaugural endowment from Peggy and Tom Clausen, former BankAmerica CEO and former president of the World Bank. The mission of the center is to ensure the provision of a full complement of international-related support to the Haas community through research, outreach, and extracurricular learning initiatives.

Wall Street Journal editor Ronald J. Alsop will discuss his new book, The 18 Immutable Laws of Corporate Reputation: Creating, Protecting, and Repairing Your Most Valuable Asset, at a lunch hosted by Dean Tom Campbell on April 13 at 12:30 p.m. in the Wells Fargo room.

Alsop, a news editor and senior writer at the Wall Street Journal, has many years of experience reporting on and supervising the coverage of corporate brands and reputations. He has served as the newspaper's marketing columnist and was editor of its Marketplace page. His previous books include The Wall Street Journal on Marketing and The Wall Street Journal Guide to the Top Business Schools. He is also responsible for the Wall Street Journal's annual ranking of MBA programs based on the feedback from corporate recruiters.

In his new book, Alsop gives organizations the eighteen crucial laws to follow in developing and protecting their reputations. Alsop provides eighteen thoroughly documented lessons based on years of experience covering every aspect of corporate reputation, with a clear distillation of the complex principles at the heart of a reputation.

Fresh from having the company he founded acquired for $2.4 billion in February, Kinko's founder Paul Orfalea will speak as part of the Dean's Lecture Series at the Haas School on Wednesday, April 21 at 4:30 p.m. in the Executive Learning Classroom.

Seating will be limited and first-come, first-served, so please arrive early to ensure a space. A reception will follow the lecture.

Orfalea founded Kinko's in 1970 near the University of California at Santa Barbara with the idea of providing college students with products and services they need at a competitive price. According to the company, the space that Orfalea rented for his copy business was so small the copy machine had to be lugged out onto the sidewalk. From its modest beginnings, Kinko's is now the world's leading business services chain. Today, there are over 1,200 Kinko's worldwide with 23,000 employees.

Under Orfalea's leadership, Fortune Magazine selected Kinko's as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work with in America" for several years. Forbes Magazine also ranked Kinko's 84th on its year 2000 "Forbes 500 Biggest Private Companies." Working Mother Magazine listed Kinko's in its Best Companies for Working Mother's 2001 issue.

In 2000 Orfalea retired from his position as Kinko's chairperson, and assumed the role as chairperson emeritus for Kinko's. He is now involved in a range of activities, including West Coast Asset Management, Inc., Stone Canyon Venture Partners LP, and other business ventures. Also in 2000, the family started the Orfalea Family Foundation, which supports various philanthropic areas.

State and Federal Prosecutors Speak on Corporate Crime and Punishment, April 26

Dean Tom Campbell will moderate a panel of state and federal prosecutors who will share their expertise and experience in prosecuting a wide-variety of corporate malfeasance at "The View from the Other Side of the Law: Prosecutors Speak on Corporate Crime" on Monday, April 26, at 4:00 p.m. in the Wells Fargo room.

The panelists are:

Patrick Robbins, chief of securities fraud in the US Attorney's office for the Northern District of California, prosecutes corporate fraud, accounting fraud, insider trading, and obstruction matters.

Damon Connolly, prosecutor in the California Attorney General's office, is the lead attorney with the California Attorney General's office Energy Task Force, which is investigating fraud and manipulation in the gas and electricity markets in California.

Chris Crook is currently a prosecutor in the California Attorney General's office working on antitrust cases, having retired from 30 years in the antitrust division of the US Department of Justice.

This event will be followed by a reception. Seating will be first-come, first-served. For more information contact Sarah Benson at benson@haas.berkeley.edu.

Faculty, Staff, and MBA Students Invited to the Annual Softball Challenge

The annual Haas Softball Challenge is scheduled for Friday, April 9 at 2:00 p.m. on the Golden Gate field, which is part of the Clark Kerr campus.

Co-coaches David Vogel and Gundars Strads are recruiting members for the faculty/staff team. "Remember, it's a simple game: you throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the ball," says Strads. Please RSVP to Gundars Strads at strads@haas.berkeley.edu or David Vogel at vogel@haas.berkeley.edu with your name, preferred position, and salary demands.

Jennifer Sang, MBA 03, joined the Evening & Weekend MBA Program office as an associate director of student services in March.

Most recently, Sang was working in the Full-Time MBA Program office on a temporary basis as an associate director. While studying at Haas, she focused on nonprofit management and planned on a career in educational administration. For her summer internship, she worked as a marketing consultant for Richard Kurovsky, executive director of Marketing and Communications at the Haas School. She also served as the MBA Association's vice president of admissions.

Prior to coming to Haas, Sang worked as a project engineer with Texaco in New York. She earned her BS in Chemical Engineering from Manhattan College.

Sang lives in Richmond and likes to cook, go out dancing, and keep up with the latest in fashion.

Jennifer Chatman, the Paul J. Cortese Distinguished Professor of Management, was quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle on March 28 in an article titled "The Apprentice Takes Realistic Look at Corporate World." Chatman commented that The Apprentice is realistic in that it shows how people compete against each other in the corporate world.

Ashok Deo Bardhan and Cynthia Kroll, both researchers at the Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics, were mentioned in News York Newsday on March 28 in an article titled "How your Job May Go Abroad."

An editorial by Dean Tom Campbell titled "Reach Out to Moderate Republicans" was published in The New York Times on March 28.

Cynthia Kroll was quoted in the National Journal on March 27 in two articles: "The Online, Innovating Planet" and Stay-At-Home Jobs."

Cynthia Kroll was quoted in the Christian Science Monitor on March 25 in an article titled "For San Francisco Real Estate, if You Have to Ask."

David Vogel, the George Quist Professor of Business Ethics, appeared on KQED FM's Forum on March 24 to discuss NAFTA and the environment ten years after it was enacted.

Severin Borenstien, the E.T. Grether Professor in Public Policy and Business Administration, was interviewed on KTVU Channel 2 News on March 24 on the topic of rising gasoline prices.

Severin Borenstein was on KQED's Forum on March 23 discussing California gasoline prices.

Cynthia Kroll was mentioned in the Los Angeles Times on March 22 in an article titled "Silicon Valley Hiring Again, but New Talent Often Overseas."

Cynthia Kroll was mentioned in the Boston Herald on March 22 in an article titled, "Expert in Offshoring Sees Benefits to US."

Lecturer Ellen Weinreb's letter to the editor "Top Talent Looks Beyond the Bottom Line," was published in the Financial Times on March 22.

The Haas School and the Berkeley-Columbia Executive MBA program were mentioned in the Financial Times on March 22 in an article titled "Creating Partnerships Across the Globe."

The study on Outsouring by Cynthia Kroll and Ashok Deo Bardhan was mentioned in an interview with CNN's Lou Dobbs in The New York Time Magazine on March 21 titled "Shape Up, Don't Ship Out."

Janet Yellen, the Eugene E. and Catherine M. Trefethen Professor of Business Administration, was quoted in The New York Times on March 17 in an article titled "Greenspan Loses His Fear of Huge Deficits."

Janet Yellen was quoted in The New York Times on March 16 in an article titled "Greenspan Shifts View on Deficits." Yellen commented on Allen Greenspan's view on the federal budget deficit.

Kenneth Rosen, the California State Professor of Real Estate and Urban Economics and chairman of the Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics, was quoted in the Wall Street Journal on March 16 in an article titled "Creative Mortgages Fuel Home Sales: Banks Push Variety of New Loans to Offset Rising Costs; the Price of a Missed Payment." Rosen commented that low interest rates were adding to inflation in the housing market.

Amir Hartman, lecturer in the Management of Technology program, was interviewed in-depth by CIO magazine on the March 15 issue about his new book "Ruthless Execution: What Business Leaders Do When Their Companies Hit the Wall."

The Global Social Venture Competition, which is a partnership between the Haas School of Business, the Columbia School of Business, and the London School of Business, was mentioned in the March 15 issue of Business Week in an article titled "Will Your Plan Win A Prize: B-school Business-Plan Competitions Can Yield Good Feedback and Seed Money."

Cynthia Kroll was quoted in the Los Angeles Times on March 15 in an article titled "Technically Speaking, Still a Tech Hub: The Silicon Valley Remains a Land of Headquarters, But Much of the Work Has Shifted to Cheaper Labor Markets Overseas." Read the full text at http://www.latimes.com/la-fi-hq15mar15,1,5925572,print.story.

Cynthia Kroll and Ashok Bardahn's study on outsourcing was mentioned in Patriot-News on March 12 in an article titled "State Resolutions Offer Steps to Curb Job Outsourcing."

Henry Chesbrough, Ph.D. 97, executive director of the Center for Technology Strategy and Management, was quoted in the Financial Times on March 12 in an article titled "Good Old-fashioned Innovation." Chesbrough commented on Microsoft's recruiting efforts.

Professor Laura Tyson, on leave at the London School of Business, was mentioned in The Evening Standard (London) in an article about the first lunch hosted by the Queen of England on March 11 to celebrate women's acheivements.

PETERSON ETHICS LECTURE SERIES
"What Matters Most: The Next Generation of Values-Based Business Leadership" by Jeffrey Hollender, CEO, Seventh Generation
Tuesday, March 30
5:30 p.m.
Location: Wells Fargo Room
Seventh Generation is the leading brand of natural household products in the United States. The company markets and distributes to natural food stores, supermarkets, and mail-order catalogs in the United States and Canada.
For more information, visit: http://www.haas.berkeley.edu/responsiblebusiness/

MANAGEMENT OF TECHNOLOGY LECTURE SERIES
"Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Investment" by Mark Kvamme, Partner, Sequoia Capital
Wednesday, March 31
Wells Fargo Room
Mark Kvamme is widely known for his successful launch of Apple Computer in the European market and for creation of Internet companies in the early and mid-1990s. At Sequoia, he leads investment in new software and service start-ups.

THE KNIGHT PROGRAM ON SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM
"Risk Analysis or the Precautionary Principle? Thinking About, and Regulating, Emerging Technologies" with Carolyn Raffensperger, executive director of the Science and Environmental Health Network
Wednesday, March 31
4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
North Gate Library, Hearst at Euclid Avenue, Berkeley
Carolyn Raffensperger is a lawyer and environmentalist and the founding executive director of the Science and Environmental Health Network.
For more information on this event visit: http://journalism.berkeley.edu/events/details.php? ID=91

PRIVATE EQUITY CONFERENCE
"Reality, Insight, and What to Expect"
Thursday, April 1
The Palace Hotel, San Francisco
There is a limited number of tickets still available for the event -- visit http://www.acg.org/sanfrancisco/ to register online.

UNITED NATIONS/MANAGEMENT OF TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE
"Bridging the Divide -- Technology, Innovation, and Learning in Developing Economies"
April 1 - 3, 2004
Haas School
The conference is part of a new collaboration between the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and UC Berkeley's Management of Technology (MOT) program.
For more information, or to register, visit http://bridge.berkeley.edu.

DAVID AAKER DISTINGUISHED LECTURE SERIES IN MARKETING
"The Relevance of Relevance," by David Aaker, professor emeritus of marketing
Monday, April 5
4:00 p.m.
Wells Fargo Room
For more information, contact Sarah Benson at benson@haas.berkeley.edu.

FINANCE SEMINAR
"Down and Out in the Stock Market: The Law and Finance of the Delisting Process" by Maureen O'Hara, Cornell University
Thursday, April 1
4:10-5:40 pm
Room C135 Cheit Hall
For more information, contact June Wong at june@haas.berkeley.edu.

FINANCE SEMINAR
"Financial Market and Wages" by Vincenzo Quadrini, University of Southern California
Thursday, April 15
4:10-5:40 pm
Room C135 Cheit Hall
For more information, contact June Wong at june@haas.berkeley.edu.

Alumni Events

NEW ENGLAND ALUMNI
"The Election: Political Predictions and Economic Consequences," with Dean Tom Campbell
Tuesday, March 30
6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Location: The Union Club of Boston (8 Park Street, Boston)
Cost: Haas alumni and their guests: $25 per person; all others: $35 per person
Preregistration is required: www.acteva.com/go/haasalumniFor more information contact the Haas Alumni Relations Office at alumni@haas.berkeley.edu or 510-642-7790.

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